Supramolecular structures self-assembled lyotropic molecules

Last but not least, it is remarkable that mesophases and living systems are closely connected. One aspect of this relation is the formation of bilayers, micelles, and other organized structures by amphiphilic molecules. These supermolecular structures can form lyotropic mesophases (Chapter 14) and vesicles [81]. In addition, Lehn and coworkers [82] have demonstrated a self-assembly of supramolecular liquid crystalline polymers (Figure 1.17) which is very reminiscent of the supermolecular structure of biochemical macromolecules (Figure 1.5). Tartaric acid-based molecules bearing complemen-... 

The mesogenic structures of glycolipids are due to the occurrence, on the same molecule, of a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic moiety often referred to as head and tail respectively. As a result, glycolipids are able to self-organize into a large variety of mesophases also called liquid crystals (Fig. 2) [ 10]. Supramolecular assemblies of mesogenic compounds can be caused by a rise in temperature (thermotropic liquid crystals) or by the addition of water (lyotropic liquid crystals) they result from different responses of the carbohydrate and the alkyl chain to temperature or solvent (water), respectively. 

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